And the snow lay round about ...

Liz Mathis

The big news around here after Tuesday's general election is, of course --- snow. Not very much, just enough to cover the ground wetly. The big question of the day will be, shovel it or let it melt? A high in the 40s is predicted --- so that should take care of it.

We need the moisture, so those of us who don't have to drive slippery roads to work aren't complaining I'd guess. Although --- it rained much of yesterday in a slow and chilly kind of way, I drove out to the Extension office for a Fair Board meeting at 7 and we sat around and complained at length.

If Iowans lived where seldom was heard a discouraging word and the skies were not cloudy all day, we'd complain about that, too.

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Democrat Liz Mathis won Tuesday's special election in Senate District 18, defeating Republican Cindy Golding handily, 56-44 percent. That maintains the Democrats' narrow 26-24 edge in the Senate and most likely will stall for the balance of the current legislative session efforts to prohibit same-sex marriage constitutionally and slash corporate income taxes 40 percent.

It was an extremely expensive race. According to The Register, Mathis raised about $690,000 and Golding, $250,000. More was spent by third-party groups backing but not officially affiliated with one or the other candidate.

But surprisingly civil --- until this week when one of those sourceless groups, "Citizens for Honesty and Sound Marriage in Iowa," launched robocalls suggesting that voters ask Mathis which gay sex acts she endorses. Republicans denied responsibility, claiming it was all a plot to turn voters away from their candidate. Sure.

Down in Mississippi, voters rejected that whacky personhood amendement to their state constitution. Not, most likely, because Mississippi suddently has become a bright light of liberality; probably just because it was such a clumsy piece of work.

Now It would be nice to be able to take a holiday break from politics, but that's unlikely to happen when you consider the Jan. 3 caucus date. So we'll be treated to the spectacle of those Republican turkeys running around the state in Santa suits from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Maybe we can get Rick Perry and Mitt Romney to outline themselves in sparkle lights for the big lighted parade here Thanksgiving weekend.

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I finally managed to pull together Sunday and Monday a script for the Advent festival of nine lessons and carols that Episcopalians and Lutherans will be presenting jointly here at St. Andrew's on the first Sunday in Advent. That's the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the 27th, two weeks from this Sunday. Yikes. Where in the world does time go?